I'm new and I would like some Ideas please for a 2000 Mustang V6
 

I bought my car about 3 months ago it's in excellent condiotion and only now has 65,000 miles on it. It's a 3.8L V6 OHV engine, About everything is stock except for the bodykit the car has on it that lowers to the ground and only one engine mod I did myself which was a cold air intake. My question is what do I do to improve gas mileage, remeber I can't sell the car I owe about $4k on it yet. and my car gets anywhere from 20-21MPG, this has only been achieved through a very small amount of hyper-miling and about half of passive driving techniques. I was thing about rear wheel skirts would that help at all and what materials do I use and ways to put it on that won't cause rust. What type of material can I use to fill in the grille with. Should i take off the stock wing or will that not make a difference. What do I do? I ordered a Tornado fuel saver, but it has not arrived yet. I also ordered some ethos, anyone have good experience with any of these. Thanks guys.

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If you are committed to improving your mileage I along with others will stress driving techniques as the #1 mod to get your MPG's up. The add ons, body mods, etc that many of us talk about merely add on small doses of savings compared to changing your driving habits. So before you go down the interstate doing 80mph with wheel skirts, a blocked grille and no spoiler, slow down and see what results driving techniques produce, they may be enough to keep you satisfied ...

And just because I drive a Mustang you think I drive 80MPH down the interstate, your wrong thats how I killed my old Dodge spirit , I baby my car and It has regular maintenance done to it. I also do use HYPERMILING a bit. I am Not an AGGRESSIVE DRIVER. YOU can't use stereotypes here. I even said I drive PASSIVELY how can you say I drive 80MPH. I need REAL suggestions here I am still only getting 20MPG is something wrong with my car? besides if I drove FAST which I know how many MPG that is it would be at 14MPG, I am not a stupid person when it comes to saving fuel.

Haha, I'm sure trikkonceptz didn't mean anything negatively in what he said, he was just emphasizing that driving technique is the number one skill to hone when trying to save fuel.

It really depends on how far you're willing to take it. Is it an auto or a 5 sp? Depending on your body kit, you could be hurting your .cd.. Try posting a pic in the aero section and ask what people think of it as far as aerodynamics go. There are some very skilled and smart people on this site who can point you in the right direction.

Other things you can do outside of technique are to add instrumentation (scangauge), possibly a gear swap. I forget what size axle you have, 7.5" IIRC (maybe not.. something I can easily find out for you though) so there may or may not be an array of gears to choose from. Low rolling resistance tires is another thing to look into, as well as not using your A/C and removing the car of any unnecassary weight.

Welcome to EcoModder...

I'll second reformed's comment: get instrumentation (a ScanGauge). Driving technique is the simplest/quickest way to big savings. You can chip away at mods as you hone your skills.

As for the tornado and ethos, I'm afraid that's money out the window.

See:

- Fuel saving gadgets - a professional engineer's view
- Fuel saving gadgets - a professional engineer's view: Ethos FR

Funny, I just looked up the 2000 Mustang specs and was shocked to learn that my Eagle Vision/Dodge Intrepid clone has more horsepower than it (212 vs. 190).

Which only further makes me wonder why someone would actually buy one of these gas guzzling machines. I mean if you're going to go all out, go all out.

That being said, I'll give a little bit of constructive advice.

Keep your top speed at 55 or below at all times. I don't know the gear ratios in your car, but I shift like this:

1st gear: 0-5 MPH
2nd gear: 5 - 15 MPH
3rd gear: 15 - 25 MPH
4th gear: 25 - 30 MPH
5th: 30 MPH +

Depending on what car I drive, I can go as low as 25 in 5th, which almost eliminates the need for 4th gear.

Also, turn off your engine and coast in neutral up to stop signs/lights and down hills. I sometimes will add a slight bit of throttle as I begin to go down an incline then turn the car off, so I can coast an extended distance without holding traffic up too much.

Oh one last thing... turn off the A/C, and crack your windows ever so slightly. Opening your windows fully will just negate what you save in A/C by increasing drag.

You should be able to get 30 mpg rather easily that way.

edit: just saw that your car is an automatic. basically you can throw all of my advice out the window. good luck.

What can I say I like Mustangs, I guess I'll have to pay for that fact, but for all means It's the car I've wanted ever since I can remember, no way i'd ever give it up, maybe just drive less is all. Yeah the Horsepower is 190 stock, but my car has true dual exhaust(not stock btw) and a cold air intake so its gotta be close to 205HP not 190HP stock. But all aside I'm going to get a tuner to change shift points in the tranny eventually so I can shift when I want to. I think turning the engine off is dangerous though can you start the car right back up in neutral while it's coasting in off? ANd the window thing is kind of hard to do cause everyone who gets in my car rolls down the window or turns the A/C on should I get battery fans to keep them happy while I drive, cause they are picky.

All excess weight of my car has been removed of what I keep in the trunk, should I get rid of my spare tire and jack? I can't get rid of the back seats cause more than just a passenger and I are in the car at almost all times. What else can I take out that I don't need?


And I'm not sure when the car had it's last tune up, I've only changed the oil and rotated the tires since I've had it. Should i take it to Ford and tell them to do a Tuneup?
P.S. I'm just glad I didn't buy a GT or a Cobra cause they guzzle gas three times as fast as my V6...

EDIT: Where can I get a ScanGauge II locally, I'm tired of buying off the internet with high shipping fees. Even though it's automatic I can still use most of your advice except for the shifting ratios right now. But hey thanks every bit will help:)

Well, I wouldn't bother with the battery fans. I tried to get some of those for my car, and my odd shaped dash wouldn't allow them to mount well. Plus they're just not very efficient. You'll probably have to keep the A/C on. When you're going at a slow speed (35 or under) you can go ahead and roll the windows down all the way, but over that, go ahead and put the air back on.

If your car were a manual, you could turn it back on after a coast by just bump starting it... no key necessary, so yes, it is plenty safe. But since your car is an auto, you could risk serious transmission damage by trying that. I stopped driving my Eagle because it had an auto tranny, and I couldn't get any better than 22 mpg.

You should look into "Pulse and Glide". It really is your best bet with what you've got. If you have mechanical know-how, I'd look into mixing and matching parts and get a Metro or older model Civic up and running. My dad has done this with two Metros and a Festiva. He has under $100 in the Festiva (it took two junkers to get it running) and under $400 in the Metro.

Darin (MetroMPG) has written an amazing guide here on P&G...

Driving technique: exploring 'Pulse and Glide' - MetroMPG.com

Good luck with it!

It depends on the car whether or not you can restart while coasting in neutral. My corolla can restart in neutral at almost any speed (haven't tried > 35 though).

You may want to think about swapping your Cold Air Intake for a Warm Air Intake. It'll kill some power, but might save you some gas. Good part about that is that it's easily reversible.

I second the notion of posting pics of your car in the aero forum. Lots of body kits add a bit too much flair for the air. On the wing: look for the "Flow Illustrator" thread in the aero forum. That'll give you a bit of data to play with so you know if taking it off will help or hinder your efforts. (from pics i've seen of the '00 stang, I'd think it might be better off)

Pump up the tires, take it slow off the line, keep it slow like you've been doing. I'd guess that unless you go pretty far with hypermiling, taking out the performance mods, and adding aero mods you're probably looking at maybe 23-27 mpg. Go all out and you could break 30 (especially with a tranny swap). Still, getting to 25 will be a big difference.

You could try local places like AutoZone and the like for a ScanGauge. I like shopping on the internet because I'm lazy ;-)


*edit* - looked at a pic again, if yours has those side scoops: consider putting some fairings in front of them. They're parachutes.

I looked around on the inernet to find the scangauge II locally and the closest place to me is in Harrisburg, PA and that is a long way on gas From Reading, PA. I guess I'll order it off the internet. BTW anyone know who I can go to to have the tranny swapped for a manual and how much it might cost, Cause i looked on the internet early this morning and couldn't find any shop that would do a tranny swap. Maybe I it the wrong keywors so if someone could help me find a shop so I know how much I am going to be looking at to pul the auto for a manual tranny that would be really helpful. But surprisingly I get better gas mileage with the cold air intake, it drops if I don't use it:(
And could you please tell me what fairings are, I really have no Idea yet. Do you mean like puttiing corplast in front overtop of the scoops so the air goes around It?

The most important thing besides the aerodynamics is where can I get a Tranny swap done at a shop and how much it will cost?

I have no idea whether or not you can get a tranny swap done at a shop or not. I would bet that you can, it would just be very expensive. If you have the know how, you would be better served to get a manual tranny from a junked car and install it yourself. I think it would take a very long time to recoup the cost of having someone else do it for you, even if you were to save a lot of gas.

Ok well, maybe the tranny thing will have to wait awile yet since my mustang is my daily driver and I have no backup car, so does anyone know where i can buy a cheap metro or civic for under $500 it can't have to many problems, but $750 is tops since I still am in college and am paying on that as well. Plus for my Mustang what would be good less rolling resistance tires, My tires ar 17" BTW if it were stock and I had those rims(which the seller didn't give me) then I would use those case aren't smaller wheels better? And could I buy some sort of plastic sheet or material to cover up the hole in the grille and overlay the sidescoops, so they are more aerodynamic at Lowe's cause i never really looked.

6 Cyl Mustang
 

I have some mpg experience with the Mustang. I have a 6cyl manual 2004 and have some experience with the mpg.

Mixed city highway almost 50/50 with a 30 mile commute I get 25mpg with no AC. On the highway I exceed the EPA of 29 for long trips at 65mph usually with 30-31 mpg. If I slow down to 60mph I usually get 33mpg.

The AC and speed take a serious toll. Full time AC use brings my commute combined from 25mpg to 22mpg.

I have used a scangauge so this is reasonably accurate info for my car.

I have a cold air kit and low rolling resistance tires (Conticontact ch95).

Well Im going to get the scangauge and I' going to try driving with the A/C off for good. I do Mostly Highway driving so it should improve if i cut the air and add a grille block and rear wheel skirts at least.

Don't bother with the tranny swap unless you can do it yourself. The labor costs alone will far out weigh any fuel costs savings from it.

Take a pic of your car straight on from the side, while kneeling (low angle) and post it. I can toss it on the flow illustraightor they were talking about and give you an idea of how the body kit, and wing are effecting the car. I know that the wing is totally non-functional, but not sure about it's effect on air flow. As for the grille block, anything works. Duct tape, card board, lexan, plexiglass, etc etc. What alot of guys here use is plastic Cloroplast, the material used in many of those cheap stick-in road side signs for garage sales, and political ads. Can also be bought at sign shops.

Very nice car. I've always liked the late-90s/early-2000s Mustangs. I remember when they came out with the current body style, I was thinking: "Yes! Finally the previous style will depreciate enough for me to afford one" since everyone was clamoring for the new version.

20-mpg isn't a bad track record. I bet you could do 25-mpg with it soon enough :).

I just did 25MPG from my last fillup(not lifetime yet ), my fuel gauge is off. That was from not using the A/C and keeping the windows at a small crack, shutting the engine off once or twice because I figured i'd be I'd be idling long. and my fuel gauge told me I had half a tank left, It's only been 5 days and No way should it go down that fast I refueled just 15min ago and it only actually took 4.080Gal to fill it from half suspicious huh. So is this a Fuel pump problem or an O2 sensor problem I'm not mech savvy with cars. After I do my AeroMods I'm sure I'll get even better MPG, I've been practicing "puse-n-Glide" a bit. Its working for me, Now I just hope I can get a scangauge II soon, but if it's a problem with the sensor My fuel pump might need to be replaced first :(

Bad gas guage would be a sending unit problem more then likely. A total PITA to get at, it's in the gas tank.

So I am guessing they are going to charge me a lot at the dealership to relace the sending unit? and is it neccessary to get it fixed or Would I be better off with a scangauage II instead?

The labor costs are pretty big, since the gas tank has to be dropped out of the car. And it's not a DIY thing if your not good with a car. I can ask my dad tomorrow and see what he estimates the labor on the fuel sending unit it, he's a 20+ year ASE mechanic

These guys know more about the scan gauge then I, but I don't think it uses the readings from the sending unit. I would get the sending unit fixed if it was really off. Kinda helps to know how much gas you have, lol.

Hey thanks, really appreciate that if you can find that out. Will give me an idea of how much money I'm going to have to save up. Thanks again.

Dropping the tank really isn't terrible on a lot of cars, you just need an empty tank to do it and another pair ar hands is helpful but not 100% needed. Unless your tank is above your exhaust, you should be able to pull the straps and drop it down. Just make sure you have a jack and a flashlight to do it the "right" way. Keep the jack under the tank while you unbolt the straps and then slowly lower the tank while looking with a flashlight at hoses and wires to make sure you arent letting the tank hang-up on any of them. Some tanks have the clip for the wires for the sending unit and pump underneath the rear seat so check there first to make your life easier.

If you don't want to tackle the problem yourself, I wouldn't go to the dealer. Price shop around for the best price from your local mechanics and you will pay probably close to half what the dealer will charge you.

Swapping an auto to a manual is a PITA, I did it once. Putting the trans and shifter in was cake, making sure the clutch pedal was going in the right place and actually mounting it on the firewall was a nightmare.

To make your auto shift when you want, you need a fully manual valve body. You can probably change the pre-programmed shift points with a computer, but the car will still shift at those new points by itself.

Your stock gears are 3.27 in the rear of that car and your rear is a 7.5" just incase you wanted to look into swapping in some 2.73's or something like that.

Talked to my dad. He said it would be anywhere from 1-6 hours of labor depending on the car, so figure what the cost of labor is in your area. Your mustang should be on the cheaper side of things. Cars like the newer CTS and such where the rear suspension have to be dropped are the 6 hour cars. So maybe figure a 1-2 hour labor cost.

i would just get the scan gauge.

if you are keeping track of mpg with your odometer you should have a pretty good idea how many miles you have left before you run dry.

even with no gas guage you still have a low fuel light right?

as you become more effecient, you will get a better feel for your car. unless you develope serius engine problems eg. bad O2 sensor. your mpg should be pretty consistant with a trend twards more miles per tank,

if you want to play it safe, just refil at 1/4 tank or more every time.

Just wanted to say that I to like Mustangs; not for their engineering, or their looks, but for what they are. I like renting a V6 mustang every now an then they just feel good to drive.

And guys remember that the majority of mustangs sold ARE v6 they were and still are a young adults car, low initial cost and low insurance are KEY for this market segment.

My advise for Improved MPG

1) SGII Watch it; and you will learn quickly (ALso setup a trip mpg xgauge)
2) at least consider replacing the factory air box
3) Pump tires up to max sidewall
4) consider blocking some of that lower grill.
5) Don't worry about it to much; if you wanted great MPG you would drive a metro, don't worry about enjoying the car every now and then (in moderation).

I'm not sure if it does, but it is fairly new so i would guess that it does have a low fuel light. I know I have about 5Gals of gas left at around 230-240Miles traveled. But if My MPG's do go up which they seem to be doing with a little tweaking of my habbits then it's going to get more complicated. Can a scanGauge II track FUEL USED??? Then I won't have to fix the stupid sending unit, but doesn't a bad sending unit mean the fuel pump is going to die soon? It happened to my friend but in reverse it would tell him he had more gas than actually did. I'll go and ask the dealer if it is messed up or not, besides my car needs a tune-up and an oil change soon so I might as well ask them. I really am not sure what to do If i want to return these products, the ethos and Tornado? Do I just email them and they put the money back in my account or do the send a check. If it's check I'd rather just keep the junk at least I have something. I've been ripped of $1k from online giant Amazon.com they are real jerks when it comes to getting money back.

It knows it's low on gas from the sending unit.

When your car starts loosing power, give it the beans and get enough speed. Better to coast as long as you can before you have to push. :p

The sending unit and pump are not directly related to one another as far as failure. How many miles are on the odometer? It becomes vary obvious if the pump was starting to go, as in a total lack of power, and a car that runs very poorly.

The car has been feeling like it is losing power as in acceleration a bit. But I am just going to probably take it to my local mechanic to see how much it will cost to check the sending unit and the pump just to be sure. But IDK maybe if I find anything else wrong the car is going to have to sit for awhile.